New York City FC Routed by Red Bulls 4 - 0
May 5, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release
NYCFC claimed four points from two Regular Season visits to Red Bull Arena in 2017 but they got off to the worst-possible start on their sole visit in Season Four of the rivalry.
A quick-fire double from Kaku and Florian Valot had City 2-0 down inside the opening 4' as the hosts' high press caught the visitors cold.
Sean Johnson had done well to parry Bradley Wright-Phillips' shot with 2' on the clock but new signing Kaku was there to tap home the rebound.
Two minutes later, the deficit was doubled as Valot's strike took a wild deflection off Alexander Callens and looped over Johnson into the net to make it 2-0.
After a rocky start, Patrick Vieira's men did begin to show some resistance, stringing together some passes and gaining a foothold in the game but they were indebted to their goalkeeper for keeping the match alive on 31'.
After Alex Ring was dispossessed just outside the penalty area, Wright-Phillips was clean through on goal but Johnson made a huge save, racing out and blocking the goalbound strike.
It proved to be just a reprieve, however, as Wright-Phillips made amends on 35', heading in Kaku's cross to make it 3-0.
Berget had City's lone meaningful effort of the first period with the last kick of the half, forcing Joel Robles into a fine save before the whistle blew.
Vieira was decisive at half-time, switching the formation to 3-5-2 and bringing Sebastien Ibeagha and Ebenezer Ofori onto the field.
The impact was almost immediate, with Jesus Medina heading over a golden opportunity from a David Villa cross in the second minute of the half.
All of a sudden the game was wide open and NYCFC were finally asking questions of a creaking Red Bulls side who had lost some of the zeal from their pressing game, with the additional width in City's shape causing problems for the home team.
Yangel Herrera and Villa both went close for the Boys in Blue before Rodney Wallace was introduced as the final substitute on 65'.
City continued to edge the balance of play until Etienne Jr. finally ended any faint hopes of a comeback when he rounded Johnson and slotted home with 10' left on the clock.
The teams will meet again at Yankee Stadium for the first of two Bronx bouts in 2018 on July 8...
NOTES
This was NYCFC's first MLS defeat to Red Bulls since 2016
Berget, Ibeagha, Tinnerholm, Medina and Ofori all played in their first Hudson River Derby games
It was City's heaviest defeat since July 2017 (vs. Toronto)
QUOTES
New York City FC Head Coach: Patrick Vieira
It seemed like the Red Bulls came with an intensity, a desire, to play that maybe your team didn't match. Did you see that.
Yeah, I think -- and this is the reason why I'm quite frustrated. I'm really frustrated about the competitiveness, about the desire we had on the field. You know, I'm prepared to accept that we can lose games, but the way we lost today with the lack of conviction, the lack of competitiveness is something that I can't accept.
You touched on the lack of competitiveness from your guys. Why is that? That your team came out so flat, four minutes in, giving up two goals?
This is something I will have to reflect on. When you play the Derby you know that you will have to compete. We know the way that they are playing, and it will be important for myself, but overall for the players, as well, to reflect on that because if we want to bounce back; if we want to keep doing well in this league, evident to change you the attitude because the attitude wasn't good tonight.
When you look at the substitutions you made, to start the second half, what was the reason for those?
If I had the chance to change all the ten players on the field, I was going to do it at half time. I wasn't really happy with every single player on the field, so I just made these changes and try to change the tactical side of the game and went three at the back. But it didn't work.
This team has veteran leaders at all three levels of the field. With no competitiveness, was the failure leadership from the players on there?
I don't want to put fingers on one player or two players or just the leadership of the team. I think it's the team overall. That's what I said early on: If I could change the ten players on the field, I was doing it because I was unhappy with the way of all of them, the way they performed. But I think we have to reflect on our performance because at that level, it is unacceptable to go on the field and the opposite team wanted it more than us.
NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson
On the slow start from NYCFC:
It was a slow start to the game, we got punished they went up two goals early on. The game by no means was over at that point. We just needed to regroup and get back to playing how we have been for the majority of the season, we didn't do that today. We dug our own hole in the first five minutes of the game, we were punished for it.
On the Red Bulls quick start:
We haven't gone down two nil in the first five minutes in the past two years. I don't think that's a valid question. They came out prepared to play, they scored two goals early on, and we were on the back foot there's nothing more. It's one game out of the 40 that we played last year so comparing that 10 to 15 minute period to any other game it always happens. Obviously they came out with energy, we came out with energy as well we just were on the opposite side of the result.
On bouncing back:
I think we just have to look at ourselves in the mirror and evaluate our performances. I'd love to call it a one off but the same central result happened in Portland and we had a good response to that. I don't doubt that we'll have a response to this game come next weekend. I think we're very far away from where we want to be as a group and today was evident of that. We've obviously done some good things this year but by no means can we take our foot off the gas pedal. It's cliché but it's a bit of a humbling one today.
NYCFC defender Anton Tinnerholm
On not being 100% today:
I don't know, soccer isn't that easy. It's a derby game so we have no excuse at all. We're two nil down after like six or seven minutes, that's not okay. The whole game they were the better team. We struggled from the start and it's not an okay performance today and we have to step up.
On recent losses today and in Portland:
Of course we see what happens when we're not 100%. The teams are that good in the league so they punish us very hard if we do make mistakes. If we're not 100% we're going to lose games. No excuse today they were the better team. We made mistakes in the wrong part of the field and they punished us very hard. The performance today was not acceptable.
New York Red Bulls Head Coach: Jesse Marsch
On the good start...
Yeah, so obviously a really, really good start. And then, you know, when you get a 2-0 lead -- even when you get a 1-0 lead, the easy thing to do is sit back and take pressure and now the other team has nothing to lose so they go after it.
But our guys were on top of the game. The whole first half was very good. So you know, and then obviously getting the goal at the end of the half was good and then not making it 3-1 right at the end, but the part that was the best is that the concentration to still stick to the game plan and see out the game the way we wanted to was great.
And then, yeah, Kaku, I think -- I've been trying to say that he's growing every day, and he's determined every day to figure out how to fit in better and better and how to integrate and how to make sure that he honors this team with his progress and performance and commitment and mentality, and so he's been a lot of fun to have here. He's been a lot of fun to have here.
Again, I keep saying this about him, but he's only getting better. He's obviously adjusting quite well, and you know, he'll continue to be very important for us.
On disrupting NYCFC...
Yeah, we designed a specific tactical pressuring scheme to try to limit those two guys. That being said, you know, with Morales, he's very nifty and he's very clever at finding little pockets.
So it was sometimes going to be Tyler around him, but it was also going to require whoever was in the vicinity to be aware of where he was and to close down his space. And then I think you saw a tough day for David Villa based on the performances of Tim Parker and Aaron Long.
So you know, if we can continue to get really good defensive performances and continue to tactically be on top of games, then the potential for this team is good.
Now, second half, they make some adjustments; it forces us to make some adjustments. We weren't quite as clear on some of our pressing and some of the tactical responsibility, so then the game started to slip a little bit more, but it's natural at 3-0, they are going to throw a lot at you. And then in there, I feel like we could manage possession better, so when we do turn them over, if we can be a bit cleaner on the ball and a little bit sharper, then we could have I think taken the game more and created more chances.
All that being said, those are picky things, right. Overall, the mentality of the group, the commitment to go after the game, the fearlessness at which our team played in a big game against a really good team, at this point in the season says a lot about who we are, so proud of our guys.
On their pressure
Well, I think, again, every time we play them, we have to come up with schemes of how we want to do things and game plans, and if you're not good on the day at what -- at pressing, then they are very good at breaking you down.
So you know, often what the games look like are us going after them, us finding ways to pick off a ball. You know, like the play that even broad -- that Sean Johnson saves it on Brad around the 35th minute, they have to survive some of those moments, and if they are sharp on the day to break some of our pressure down, then they can be dangerous when they get in and around our goal and they can create chances.
The one thing that's a little bit different about this team than years past is even when there are breakdowns in our pressure, our back line is our best we've ever had. So they can defend 1-v-1 and they can physically handle moments and they are really good defenders.
So that's what gives this team I think a high potential in terms of what we can become, and listen, my message to the team afterwards was great job but we still have a long way to go to be the team that I think we can be, and there's a lot of improvement out there, still. So we'll keep working through things, but the eagerness of us to continue to improve is going to be really important.
New York Red Bulls Striker Bradley Wright-Phillips
On scoring 11 total goals against NYCFC:
"It's always good to score against your rivals but scoring eleven goals against them doesn't really mean anything. You don't get anything for it. Obviously, on the day, I want to score and help my team win so it's good but the actual total doesn't mean anything."
On the team's overall performance:
"It was a good performance all around. Especially the first half, the second half was always going to be difficult. They have to come out and try to put pressure on us and that they did but, like I said, our defense was good today. The team really wanted a clean sheet and we got that."
New York Red Bulls midfielder Kaku
On playing well
On a personal level, yes, I am very happy for having score but also because the team is on the rise and we are giving it our all.
Being chosen man of the match
It's great to be recognized that way, but like I always say it's thanks to the team effort because they allow me to play with freedom and I am adapting quickly which is good for everyone.
Adapting quickly to MLS play
I am not sure of other players, but yes, I have adapted quickly. That's because everyone has welcomed me very nicely, and they are always helping me with the language and with things on the field.
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